Shower fixture

ABSTRACT

AN ADJUSTABLE FIXTURE FOR A SHOWER HEAD ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN A SHOWER STALL AND CONNECTED TO A SUPPLY PIPE EXTENDING FROM THE WALL OF TE STALL. THE FIXTURE IS FORMED AS AN ELONGAGTED, TUBULAR BODY HAVING AN OUTSTANDING STUB AT ITS BASE WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE SUPPLY PIPE. THE BODY EXTENDS UPWARDLY FROM THIS CONNECTION AND IF NECESSARY, EXTENDS THROUGH THE CEILING OF THE SHOWER STALL. A TUBULAR STEM IS MOUNTED WITHIN THE BODY WITH ITS LOWER PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE BASE OF THE BODY AND WITH A SHOWER HEAD ON ITS LOWER END. AN ADAPTOR IS ATTACHED TO THE BASE OF TEH BODY THROUGH WHICH THE TUBULAR STEM SLIDABLY EXTENDS TO PERMIT THE TUBULAR STEM TO BE ADJUSTABLE   WITHIN THE BODY AND TO PERMIT IT TO BE LOCKED AT ANY SELECTED ROTATIVE AND ELEVATIONAL POSITION.

. 23, 1971 .1.. FLE'rcI -IER 3,564,621

SHOWER FIXTURE 1i I v Filed Sept. 9, 1968 Shh INVENTOR.

Samuel L. Fletcher BY I FIG. I

' FIG. 4

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,564,621 SHOWER FIXTURE Samuel L. Fletcher, 1141 33rd Ave., Greeley, Colo. 80631 Filed Sept. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 758,377 Int. Cl. A47k 3/22 US. Cl. 4145 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adjustable fixture for a shower head adapted to be mounted in a shower stall and connected to a supply pipe extending from the wall of the stall. The fixture is formed as an elongated, tubular body having an outstanding stub at its base which is connected to the supply pipe. The body extends upwardly from this connection and if necessary, extends through the ceiling of the shower stall. A tubular stem is mounted within the body with its lower portion extending from the base of the body and with a shower head on its lower end. An adaptor is attached to the base of the body through which the tubular stern slidably extends to permit the tubular stem to be adjustable within the body and to permit it to be locked at any selected rotative and elevational position.

This invention relates to shower bath installations, and more particularly to the shower fixturesthereof, a primary object of the invention being to provide a novel and improved shower fixture which is adjustable in height. As such, the invention will be hereinafter sometimes referred to as an adjustable shower fixture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved adjustable shower fixture having a shower head which may be raised or lowered and also, rotated about a vertical axis to any position desired by the user, thus permitting the user to direct a shower spray onto his body in any manner he chooses.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved adjustable shower fixture which may be used with equal facility by a tail individual wishing to direct the shower spray upon his head and by a shorter individual, such as a woman, wishing to direct the shower spray only onto her body and who desires not to wet her hair or facial makeup.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved adjustable shower fixture which is made up of conventional, easily-obtained components without the need for manufacturing special parts; which may be easily fitted into either commercial shower stalls, custom built shower stalls or onto the wall of a bathroom over a bathtub; and which may be connected with equal facility with special factory-furnished lines found in some commercial shower stalls, with the pipe fitting stubs roughed into a wall by a plumber and with copper tubing supply lines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved adjustable shower fixture which takes advantage of conventional building construction practices by extending into the dead space, invariably available, above a shower stall or bathroom and which may be above a false ceiling or which is defined by floor or ceiling joists, thereby permitting the shower head to be adjusted vertically through a distance considerably greater than that which would otherwise be possible.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved adjustable shower fixture which is a simple, neat-appearing, low cost, rugged and durable unit, and which is especially easy to adjust and set for any specific use.

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With the foregoing and other objects in view, all of which more fully hereinafter appear, my invention comprises certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts and elements as hereinafter described, defined in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an adjustable shower fixture constructed according to the principles of the invention, which is shown as being mounted upon the wall of a shower stall, or other room of a conventional type of construction, this wall being shown in section to better depict the manner in which the fixture is ordinarilly connected to the stub of a supply line and the manner in which a portion of the fixture extends upwardly and through the ceiling of the stall or room.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the central portion of the fixture per se, shown in the same position as appears at FIG. 1, but on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a sectional detail plan view as taken from the indicated line 3-3 at FIG. 2, to better illustrate the construction of a connective flange mounted upon the fixture.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail view, partly in section, as taken substantially from the indicated line 44 at FIG. 2, but illustrating an alternate construction of a flange connection to the fixture.

The present invention was conceived and developed to meet the need for a more versatile shower head fixture for a shower stall and for the shower attachment for a bath tub. The problem is brought about by the fact that the needs of a shower by different individuals will vary considerably, and one desirable variation of a shower facility, one which is not ordinarily available, resides in shifting the shower head to different elevations. The classical problem is best illustrated by the tall man who wishes to shampoo his hair and his short wife who wishes to take a shower, but doesnt want to get her hair and facial makeup wet. While certain, comparatively elaborate fixtures have been proposed in the past to solve this problem, they are seldom used and the standard and conventional shower fixture comprises only a rigid tube having a shower head attached to it. The tube, which is ordinarily bent at a 45 degree angle to direct the shower spray downwardly and outwardly, is connected to a supply line stub extending out of a wall of the room or stall. Aside from the fact that the ordinary shower head will be provided with a ball and socket type swivel joint to vary the direction of the shower spray, this conventional installation is rigid and is not adjustable.

The present invention comprises, in essence, a shower fixture which combines a larger and a smaller tubular member in an upright, telescopically adjustable arrangement with the smaller member depending from the larger and constituting a shower head stem. The larger member, the body of the fixture, includes a lockable adaptor at its bottom end through which the smaller shower head stem extends. The body member also includes a lateral stub near the adaptor which will connect with a supply line which is ordinarily located at the wall of a shower stall or room. To complete the body structure, the top end of this tubular member is closed. To complete the stem, the bottom end is preferably angled approximately 45 degrees and a shower head is connected to this end. Accordingly, whenever this fixture is properly mounted upon the wall of a shower stall or room in an upright position, the shower head at the bottom of the fixture may be raised or lowered by telescoping the stem into and out of the body and the stern may be locked in any selected position by tightening the adaptor as will be hereinafter described.

In order to provide for a fixture which is sufiiciently long as to permit a desirable range of vertical adjustment,

it is contemplated that the closed top end of the tubular body member will project upwardly and through the ceiling of the shower stall or room. It was found that such an arrangement would present an especially neat and attractive construction and that no problem would be encountered in the overall construction of the shower room or structure because the space over a shower stall or room is almost invariably dead space, either above a false ceiling or between the conventional ceiling or floor joists, all as will be described in further detail.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the shower fixture F mounted upon the wall W of a shower stall or room. This fixture F is formed as an elongated, tubular upright body B which includes a laterally disposed tubular stub near the bottom of the body B to facilitate connection with a supply line L which holds the body in place. The elongated body, however, extends upwardly and through the ceiling C of the stall or room and is also connected thereto by a faceplate attached to the body as will be hereinafter described. The shower head stem S, an elongated tube, is mounted within this body to extend downwardly therefrom and through a locking adaptor A at the bottom end of the body, and this stem carries a shower head H at its bottom end. This fixture F is advantageously made of standard tubular pipe and standard solder fittings therefor which may be of copper, brass or other similar metals. One expedient mode of construction is to use regular copper and brass materials which may be soldered together with either soft or hard solder and thereafter, the completed unit may be chrome plated to provide for a neat, attractive, finished unit.

The body B, formed of conventional fittings, includes a tubing T 20 at its base which is of a selected size, for example, a one-inch tubing fitting, having a smaller leg branch 21, for example one-half-inch tubing size, which is provided with a socketed end to receive a tube. One arm of this T 20, which will be hereinafter referred to as the upward arm 22, is also provided with a socketed end to receive a tube and the other arm, the downward arm 22' is provided with an internally threaded tube coupling 23 which is soldered into the tube. The coupling 23 will receive a threaded fitting which forms part of the adaptor A, as will be hereinafter described.

The leg branch 21, which will be horizontally disposed when the body is properly mounted in an upright position, carries a comparatively short, tubular stub 24 which is fitted into the socketed end of the leg 21 and soldered in place with hard or soft solder, as a permanent connection. The upright arm 22 carries an extended body tube 25 having a length somewhat in excess of the vertical range of adjustment of the shower head and in an ordinary unit, it may be from 16 to 24 inches long. This tube is fitted into the socketed end of the arm 22 and is also soldered into place as a permanent connection. The upper end of this tube is closed by a plug 26 which may be fitted into the end of the tube and soldered into place. This body B is completed by mounting a circular, washershaped face plate 27 upon the body tube 25 to facilitate attaching the body to the ceiling of the stall or room as will be hereinafter described. This face plate is preferably circular in form with a center hole sized to permit it to slide upon the body tube to its proper position and to be soldered into place by a solder bead 28 as illustrated at FIG. -2. It includes an array of holes 29, such as the triad illustrated at FIG. 3, to facilitate attachment to the ceiling as hereinafter described.

The standard tubing T 20, above described, may be purchased as a conventional fitting, while the tube coupling 23 will have to be manufactured. The coupling 23 may be made from brass stock and provided with threads of a conventional size, such as for example, one-half-inch pipe threads. The adaptor A includes a sleeve head 30 having a passageway 31 wherethrough the shower stem S may extend with a free sliding fit. Threads 32 are provided at one end of the head 30 to fit into the threaded socket of the coupling 23 and threads 33 are provided at the opposite end to fit into the threaded socket of a lock nut 34 mounted thereon. The lock nut 34, the other component of the adaptor A, is formed as a short, thick, tubular member having a passageway 35 through which the shower stem S will extend with a sliding fit. However, one end of this passageway will be enlarged to define the threaded socket which receives the threads 33 of the sleeve nut and also, a bottomed portion to receive and retain a suitable packing ring 36. This lock nut 34 is cylindrical in form with an enlarged, cylindrical head 37 at the bottom having its peripheral surface knurled to provide an easy finger grip to turn it upon the sleeve head 30. It is manifest that loosening this lock nut will permit the shower stem S to be moved in the adaptor A and to be either rotated or moved into and out of the body B to adjust the height of the shower head, and that tightening the lock nut will lock the stem in place.

The shower head stern S is formed as an extended tube 38 having a diameter which is sufiiciently smaller than the internal diameter of the body tube 25 as to permit an upward flow of water into the body tube about the stem and thence, a downward flow into the stem S as in the manner shown by the indicated arrows at FIG. 2. In using conventional components, and with a one-inch size body tube, a one-half inch tube for the shower head stem S is a preferable size. With a three-fourth-inch size body tube, a three-eighth-inch tube for the shower head stem S is a preferable size. This tube 38 may be of hard drawn, rigid copper, but it may also be made of stainless steel or any similar material having adequate strength and rigidity. Such rigidity is desirable because the shower head at the bottom of the tube will be frequently handled when the unit is being adjusted by raising and lowering the shower head.

This stem is preferably turned at an angle of 45 degrees a short distance from its bottom to provide a short sloping base 40 which includes a standard, threaded adaptor fitting 41 at its end for the attachment of a ball and socket joint of the shower head H in a conventional manner. The length of the tube 38, extending above the base and which is slidable within the body B, is comparable to the length of the body tube 25, being such that with the stem completely telescoped into the body so that the shower head H is at its highest position, the top of the stem within the body does not contact the closure cap 26 at the top of the body stem, but is a short distance therefrom. A stop means is provided at the top of the stem S to prevent the stem from being pulled downwardly and out of the body, and this stop may be a pin, or preferably a nut 42 fitted into a pair of diametrically opposing holes at the top of the stem, as illustrated at FIGS. 2 and 3. The length of this nut is such that it may move past the threaded opening of the coupling 23 and abut against the end of the sleeve head 30 of the adaptor A which is fitted within the coupling 23. In this manner, a quick and easy assembly and disassembly of the components forming the fixture is possible by turning the sleeve head out of the body and then removing the stem 8 from the adaptor by removing the lock nut 42.

FIG. 1 illustrates the fixture mounted in a wall and ceiling of a shower stall or room of conventional construction. In such construction, the basic frame consists of wall studs 50 capped with plates 51 whereon ceiling joists 52 are placed. Next, the frame is covered by the wall and ceiling structure 53 of lath and plaster or of sheetrock or other materials. To prepare for a shower outlet, the shower faucets, not shown, are mounted in the stud wall before it is covered at a suitable location, and a supply line L is extended upwardly to the fixture location and is turned as by an elbow 54, to terminate as a stub or nipple 55. This supply line may be standard iron pipe using threaded ends and fittings, or it may be copper tubing using soldered or brazed fittings. In either case, the line will ordinarily be of one-half-inch pipe since an adequate flow of water for a shower is possible through a one-half inch line. In any event, the size of the leg stub 24 will be the same.

If the supply line is threaded iron pipe, the tubular stub 24 will be of a size which will telescopically fit into the pipe nipple 55. If the supply line is of copper tubing, a solder connection will be made by soldering the line 24 into a coupling on the nipple 55 in a manner not shown since the same is conventional. Whenever the fixture is connected to a threaded pipe, a lock nut 56 and a packer washer 57 must be provided for the connection. As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lock nut 56 fits over the stub tube 24 and has internal threads which fit up on the end of the nipple 55, squeezing the washer into position to provide a tight, leakproof fit. In fitting the leg stub 24 into place, it may also be desirable to cover the connection with an escutcheon plate 58 as is a conventional and common practice.

It is contemplated that the length of the upright body tube will be such as to extend through the ceiling of the shower stall or room wherein the fixture is mounted and in preparing the building frame for this purpose, a wooden block or header 60 may be provided between ceiling joists 52 at the location of the fixture. Thereafter, a hole 61 is drilled through the ceiling and header which is sufficiently large in diameter as to permit easy fitting of the body tube therein when the fixture is mounted upon the wall of the stall or room. It is contemplated that the face plate 27 will be located upon the body tube at a position which will place it against the ceiling when the fixture is attached to the supply line. This face plate will be connected to the ceiling, as with wood screws 62 extending through holes 29 and into the ceiling 53 and block 60.

Whenever the rough-in proportions of the supply line L will vary in height, it will be necessary to adjust the position of the face plate 27 upon the body tube 25 to permit it to fit tightly against the ceiling. This may be accomplished by soldering it in place after its proper position is determined. The modified form of a face plate 27', illustrated at FIG. 4, is also suited for this purpose. This face plate 27 is formed as a washer-shaped flange, as heretofore described, and is also provided with a short, tubular ring 63 at its base which slidably fits over the body tube 25. This ring 63 is comparatively thick and contains one or more threaded sockets 64 wherein lock screws 65 are fitted. When this arrangement is used, the shower fixture is connected to the supply line with the top portion of the body tube extending through the ceiling hole 61; thereafter, the face plate 27 is slid up the body tube until it is against the ceiling surface. The lock screws 65 secure the face plate to the body tube and it is also secured to the ceiling by the wood screws 62, as heretofore described.

The attachment of the stub 24 to the pipe nipple 55, heretofore described, may also be effected by an alternate arrangement, not shown in the drawing. In this arrangement, the pipe nipple 55 is plated or otherwise finished and projects several inches into the shower stall beyond the wall surface. A face plate, similar to the face plate 27', is fitted over this projecting nipple 55 and secured to the wall 53. The stub 24 will then be fitted into the end of the nipple 55 and the lock nut 56 is turned upon the nipple with the packer washer 57 in place, the same as heretofore described. This arrangement is especially suitable where the supply line L within the wall is not properly secured in position or where it is possible that rough usage could cause the nipple 55 to become loosened.

In use, after the fixture is installed, it is merely necessary to loosen the lock nut 34 and to raise or lower the shower head H to a selected elevation. Thereafter, the lock nut 34 is tightened and the shower is ready for use. Maintenance is an infrequent, but simple matter for the lock nut may be removed from the body to remove the shower head stem S therefrom, should cleaning or replacement of the stem ever become necessary.

I have now described my invention in considerable detail. It is obvious, however, that others skilled in the art can device and build other and equivalent constructions which are within the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence, I desire that my protection be limited, not by the constructions illustrated and described, but only by the proper scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shower head fixture for a shower stall and the like, which is attachable to a supply pipe at an elevated position at a wall of said stall and which includes a shower head adjustable vertically between an upper position adjacent said supply pipe and a lower position at a substantial distance below said supply pipe, comprising:

(a) an elongated, outer tubular member having a closed upper end and an open lower end;

(b) water conveying means connecting said outer member with said supply pipe at a position adjacent the lower end of said outer member, whereby said outer member extends vertically and above said supply pipe connection a distance corresponding to the distance between the upper and lower positions of said shower head;

(c) an elongated, inner tubular member having an open upper end and provided at its lower end with said shower head, said inner tubular member extending upwardly into said outer tubular member and being smaller than said outer tubular member, whereby in all positions of said inner member with its upper end above said connection, water will fiow upwardly from said connection, around and past said inner member and into the upper end thereof for passage through said inner member to said shower head;

(d) means for sealing said inner member at its entrance into the lower end of said outer member; and

(e) means for retaining said inner member and the shower head carried thereby in an adjusted vertical position.

2. A shower head fixture, as defined in claim 1, wheresaid outer member includes a pipe and a T at the lower end of said pipe, with the lateral branch of said T providing said connection with said water conveying means 3. A shower head fixture, as defined in claim 2, wheresaid water conveying means comprises a nipple.

4. A shower head fixture, as defined in claim 2, including:

an adaptor mounted at the lower end of said T and through which said inner member is movable, said adaptor having a sufficient length to minimize lateral play of said inner member.

5. A shower head fixture, as defined in claim 4, wheresaid sealing means includes packing surrounding said inner member and a nut for compressing said packing against the lower end of said adaptor.

6. A shower head fixture, as defined in claim 1, in-

cluding:

interengaging stop means for preventing downward movement of said inner member out of said outer member, provided on the outside of the upper end of said inner member and on the inside of the lower end of said outer member, said stop means on said inner member permitting flow of water past the same.

7. A shower head fixture, as defined in claim 6, wherethe lower end portion of said inner member is disposed angularly with respect to the remainder of said inner member. 8. A shower head fixture, as defined in claim 1, wheresaid shower stall is disposed in a room having a ceiling located above said supply pipe a distance less than the distance between the upper and lower positions of said shower head; and said outer member extends upwardly through said ceiling. 9. A shower head fixture, as defined in claim 8, including:

a face plate attached to said ceiling and surrounding said outer member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner US Cl. X.R. 

